


Grant My Love A Pardon

by setos_puppy



Category: The Following
Genre: AU, Hurt/Comfort, Kind of a road trip fic, M/M, mostly comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:43:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1771165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setos_puppy/pseuds/setos_puppy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of taking Paul to his parents' cottage, Jacob beelines for the border where he's pretty sure they can slip through and he can keep his promise of saving Paul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grant My Love A Pardon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [some_fantastic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/some_fantastic/gifts).



> Happy birthday, boo.

The drive from Virginia to Buffalo had been quick, sweet and surprisingly easy.  They'd had a stop in an old, grimy, rent-by-the hour motel to change their bloody clothes and patch Paul up as best as he could.  Jacob also took the time while Paul swore loudly in Spanish, cursing out Emma the entire time for leaving them for dead with the FBI, to check on the news to see what their status was.  The were mentioned briefly by their personal names but only Jacob's picture was splashed on the screen alongside Emma's.  Jacob dug through their supplies and found a small brown envelope from Jana tucked in with his things.  He shook out two passports, NEXUS passes and wallets.  A quick scan of the names and new photos, Paul was pretty much the same, save for an older photo of him with the curled hair, scruff and glasses, Jacob's hair had been cropped from it's coif and dyed a shade of unassuming honey brown and his steel grey eyes had been traded in for a muted, warm brown hidden behind thick glasses.  He pulled out a small grocery bag that had been jammed into the bottom of his emergency duffle bag that had scissors, bleach, hair dye and coloured contacts, which he set in the bathroom before walking back into the room where Paul was leaning against the headboard, watching him in a pained haze.

 

"Jana come through?"  

 

Jacob tried for a smile, but it felt weak, so he nodded instead.  "Big time.  She stuck with the same routine as before, though, guess it's pretty laid back or whatever."  He handed over the supplies to Paul, who flipped open the passport and snorted.  

 

"Simon Edwards, really?"

"I got stuck with Chad, okay, don't complain."

 

Paul's laughter eased some of Jacob's worries, even if he winced with the pain.  Jacob watched Paul's eyes drift to the small baggie with their things and he pulled out the simple gold and platinum band.  Jacob turned from Paul's watch before he could see him slip it onto his ring finger or try and suss out the emotions on his face.  

 

The bleach stung like a bitch but the transformation into the bookish Chad Edwards, husband, paleozoologist, born in Red Deer, Alberta now living in Drumheller, Alberta was almost miraculous, Jacob had to admit he didn't really look anything like Will Wilson (still the stupidest name ever), or even a whole lot like Jacob Wells.  He changed into jeans and after a bit of help, Paul had gotten into a loose fitting long sleeved Henley and a pair of jeans, hair mussed and glasses on, he looked almost five years younger.  He was now Simon Edwards, formerly of Edmonton, Alberta, freelance photographer.  The two of them had been visiting with friends for the long weekend and were now headed back home.

 

Once they piled into the car, with Paul looking much better once he had been bandaged, had his wound cleaned with nearly a whole bottle of anti-septic spray, and had some food and water, they headed for the Peace Bridge crossing.  Paul was mostly quiet, Jacob was amazed at how he was holding up in spite of the probably searing pain.  The music was kept low, and they didn't bother with small talk.  After knowing each other and spending so much time together for three years both of them knew the calm that came with an unforced silence.  

 

Slipping into the NEXUS pass lane, Jacob waited in the line up until they were green-lit to a booth and pulled up, rolling down the windows to the car and then turned off the engine.  He passed over their passports and NEXUS passes to be checked and swiped through.  He answered the questions with ease and a smile, married five years, living at such-and-such address (which actually existed and was in their new names), worked here, nothing to declare, coming home back from a short holiday.  Thank you.

 

They were eyed, the car quickly examined, before they were waved through.  Jacob offered them a friendly over the shoulder wave as he turned the car back on and rolled up the windows before rolling out of the gate.  He let out a short, slightly hysterical laugh and looked over at Paul who flashed him a tired smile and a thumbs up.  

 

"Let's take advantage of that free healthcare, yeah?"

 

***

 

The stop at the hospital in St. Catherines had gone surprisingly smooth as well, Jacob wondered if this was a sort of boon from Joe, that maybe he even had people across the border looking out for them.  They were swept through the Emergency Room - "my husband fell on some glass, I think it's serious" - and into triage.  Thankfully no major organs had been hit, he'd been cleaned up, sewn shut and given some antibiotics and mild painkillers before they were shuffled off out the door for a patient who was no doubt worse off.  "If it gets worse be sure to stop on your way home, please go here to pay for out of province care."

 

Once they were back on the road, Jacob drove them a few more hours up province until they hit the Trans-Canada and coasted along until he was pretty sure he was going to drop from his own exhaustion.  They stopped at a small roadside motel for the night, checked in without much of a glance and slept through the night without any interruptions.

 

***

 

"I can't believe this all happened, without even a fucking hiccup."  Paul muttered into his coffee the next morning as they coasted down the highway, music from a CD they'd found in the glovebox cranked high.  "So, how much do you know about paleo-what-the-hell?"

 

Jacob laughed, looking over at Paul and squeezed his hand, enjoying the way Paul squeezed back, strong, stronger than the past few days.  "Apparently enough to get me a clerical job?"

 

Paul snorted loudly, rolling his eyes as he rested back in the seat, reclining it and turning his head to watch Jacob.  "Well, we still have a fuckton of money stashed away, and knowing Jana there's more in the house."  He let his fingers curl on the hem of Jacob's sleeve where it was bunched up around his elbow.  "This totally means you have to carry me across the threshold, you know that, right?  I took your name and all."

 

Jacob set up the cruise control and took his foot off the gas, digging one handed through the take out bag they'd gotten before leaving the rest stop that morning.  He looked up, watching Paul through the glasses he still had on.  His heart sped up a bit and he leaned over the middle console to press their mouths together in a chaste kiss.  Paul craned his neck up, mouth curling into a smile when Jacob pulled away.  

 

"Thanks."

 

"For what?"

 

Paul shrugged his shoulders, not sure about what he was trying to say, but he got a quirk of the mouth in return.  He stole a piece of bacon hanging out of the side of Jacob's breakfast sandwich and laid back, letting his eyes close.  "I get the left side of the bed this time."


End file.
